Another arrest in Rwanda

In Rwanda, there have been more arrests of high-ranking RDF officers. On July 3, Colonel Diogene Mudenge was arrested, accused of threatening a civilian with a pistol in a dispute over money. According to the RDF spokesman, Mudenge had bought a piece of land from a farmer but later abandoned the project. When he asked for his down payment back, the owner said he had already spent it, leading to the altercation. Others, however, are skeptical of this account. Mudenge is married to the sister of the powerful Minister of Defense, General James Kabarebe, so the tongues have been wagging in Kigali and abroad about the possible meaning of this. Meanwhile, I have also learned belatedly that David Himbara, the influential former Principle Private Secretary (PPS) to President Kagame, also left Rwanda in January for South Africa. The circumstances of his departure are, however, not clear. He has not made any declarations since his arrival in South Africa, although sources among the RPF dissenters suggest he might have fallen out with the powerful first lady.